I was raised by the two strongest women on the planet, my mother and grandmother. To say we didn’t have a lot growing up is an understatement.
My daddy and mother divorced when I was 12, and there were 6 women in the house, my grandmother, mother and us 4 girls, Faith, Hope, Charity (me) and Joy (yes, those are our real names).
We were all very bonded growing up because we were all each other had. We loved and cared for each other so much.
Strong Women aren’t simply born. They are made by the storms they walk through.
When daddy left, mother had no marketable skills and no education past high school. She was young when she married and she devoted her life to us girls, my grandmother and our home and farm.
My grandmother worked at Avondale Mills during the early hours and came home and worked on the farm with mother and us girls until it was time for dinner and we’d all eat together.
At the time, none of us realized how little we had. Mother was the backbone for the family. She got a full-time job, went to school full-time and worked her fingers to the bone to make things better for us.
She went to school during the day and worked 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. at night as a nursing assistant. Because we lived so far from the college she was attending, she sat in her car between classes and studied.
Some days were bitter cold and she carried blankets with her to keep herself warm in the car while she was waiting for the next class. When she finished her classes for the day, she went to her nursing assistant job.
Because of all her hard work, she entered and completed nursing school. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, her RN degree and worked as a Charge Nurse for more than 35 years.
Later in life, she obtained a Master’s degree and a Doctorate degree. Most people who know her do not know what it took from her to get to where she wound up. But we know. And God knows.
My mother and grandmother were made by all the storms they went through. They came out of each storm a stronger person.
And they never lost their faith in God. We always went to Church and Mother and Mama never stopped giving.
Blessings of happiness, love and light to you from Sterrett, Alabama!
Charity M. Richey-Bentley
What a wonderful story
We as women have been called the weaker sex, not even close, when we put our minds together we can accomplish the impossible
With God on our side, eavrything is possible.
Amen
To that and good bless you always
What a nice reflection of the precious time with Mom and Grandma!
Thank you, Craig.
Thank you for being here.
God bless you and God bless your day.
Charity
Myx says I’m not equal to him the woman is to follow the man leads the woman doesn’t have a business mind and she should not have any say into business or Family matters she is to keep quite and mind the man
That is not true God madewoman to be equal to man to be by his side to share equally in everything women can be wiser than men many times man has disobey God on how woman should be treated there are many women who are well educated and are wise but man does not want to recognize this God did not create woman for man to trapple on but to be equal with him this has got to change he was instructed to love her like God loves her but he has failed and gone his own way man needs to turn to God to be taught how to love a woman properly she is not to be stepped on or ignored but to always be consulted.
Sweet Sherry, I think he needs to read and study his Bible more. God created Eve for Adam so he’d not be alone in life. God called us women, the mans HELPMATE, NOT A SLAVE WHO HAS TO BLINDLY FOLLOW WHAT A MAN SAYS. If a man follows the word of God he will honor and respect who God has made her to be!! To many men take that one scripture and interpret it as we women are to be mans’ “slave” not helpmates. That’s because they want to have the woman in their life as a slave and a “yes, whatever you say Honey.” I thank God he gave me a husband who never made me feel like a slave. We always worked together on things, sought God for His will in our lives and took God at his holy word that I was my husbands helpmate, not his slave. We had a great and blessed of God life together working with and for each other in all aspects of our lives. When God is the true Head of a home as it should be, a man will not feel like his wife is a “yes woman” but the helpmate God intended her to be. They will always seek God’s will in their lives and do their very best to make each other the treasures God means for them to be! We all have our times of disagreement on things and if we go to God with it, HE will see us through and our love for one another only increases as we thank God for one another! God ment marriage to be a most beautiful thing between a man and a woman. Only can it be beautiful when we keep God as our helper, leader, guide and constant companion in our heart and souls!!
Well then, I suggest that you become the first in a long line of strong women in your family. Do not allow anyone, including yourself, to undervalue you.
God created you as an equal, not an underling.
Your husband is way out of touch with reality. He could not function without you by his side. A marriage is a partnership. Partners must both contribute to the wellness of the union. He is forgetting God’s instruction to honor his wife.
for get mr x shows how he is not with the modern times
AMEN HONEY Mother’s and Grandmother’s are irreplaceable 💞
May God bless you in all ways and comfort you as you please him.
Thank you so much, Freda.
Thank you for being here and God Bless You.
Charity
Wouldn’t this be a wonderful world if more people was like you. You had more then most kids today with all the love you had and that is better then all money can buy. May god bless you and keep you safe safe love
The quotesimply says it ALL “watch out for those kind of women Do not underestimate The HorseMafia they kick
@$$
women
y
yes we women are strong, I was underestimated. BUT ,I showed them, I am a strong woman, by trials and tribulations that would have broken someone else, but not me,I got up pulled up my big girl panties,and showed them all. I am alone now, But thats ok. I can do this..
It is amazing g for you to appreciate and honor their struggles and becamazing!!
praise God for His goodness and mercy to him belong all the glory and honor HE is our helper and keeper and is always be with us for he will keep HIS promised to never leave or forsake us.Always trust and believe in him and hewillseee you through the is no failures inhim.nothing God willtakecareofyou.stay in hiswilland lean not to your ownunderstanding.stay in His will and and keep him first in your life.Love Jennetta Davis Good morning have a blessed day and week furthermore
God bless you.
Charity
Thank you for sharing that wonderful story! It has so blessed me God bless you and keep you safe.
Amen! Women are the more powerful sex / gender – exactly why God gave us the power to birth another human being.
Amazing 👌 God Bless 🙏💞
Women are,far more powerful than they know! Men are too busy with ego to do what they do !
That made me laugh.
God bless you and thank you for being here.
Charity
God Bless you and I’m sure you thank him every day for all the blessings he serves you with. I am so thankful for all the blessings he has given me and my husband during , before and now after 68 yrs. married.
God bless you Freda, 68 years of marriage is one we don’t hear very often now days!! My husband of almost 53 years passed away 8-4-2019 from multiple diseases and God had blessed us with a wonderful and happy life together. I miss him very much but your text blessed my heart and just had to thank you for sharing and pray for God’s continued blessings in you and your husbands lives!! Love in Christ Jesus our Saviour, Frances Shrader
TOttaly agree.
GodBless you and your family as a Mother and grandma we are survivor ers
Strong woman paved the way for this generation to break glass ceiling, woman need to support each other and never compete against each other for men !!
Beautiful family story! God Bless You!
I agree we have to figure out how to feed children and me with good wholesome foods. It’s fone on a real tight budget.
Your life “Motivate Me” Thank You
What a powerful story… we can do anything with Gods strength. Thank you for sharing
We never know what storms we have in live. But I know God will. Not put more on us than we can take Thank you Jesus
Wow! What an incredible story. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for this writing. Took some more skim off my eyes.
Beautiful Family and Story
Beautiful Family and Story
Amen,God bless all our strong women.
Amen Liz, you are so right. Everything is possible with God. Thank you so much.
You were blessed to have women to love you , a family who cared. So many or should I say too many don’t.
You were blessed to have a faithful momma and grandma. Hard working and loving. Walk in her footsteps. Sounds like they were grand ladies!
Encouraging message for hard workers !
Awesome testimony!!! So true how tough circumstances can make us stronger!
💯 True Grit 👍❤️😇
Truly wonderful story we all made stronger by the storms we go through in our life sometimes we feel will not make it through but with gods help and family love we will come out the other side
What a blessing and an inspiration they were to yiu and your sisters
Encouraging story especially for young women thanks for sharing
Amazing family you have!!! You had so much more than many others don’t that never have to go without things!! Cherish ylour upbringing!!
wonderful post!
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Shield .
👍👍👍Thanks for sharing your story!!!❤❤❤
You had to have had a hard but wonderful childhood in order to send these beautiful hugs and prayers each day. God Bless You always.
Charity, Hello from Pell City and your story is amazing. Thank you for sharing. I know the Cotton Mill my whole family worked there at some point in there life. My Granddaddy worked there for 45 years. He had his stroke there and still worked for thirty minutes until his shift was over. All of my brothers and sisters loved that life. Thank you for reminding my of my best memories. ❤
WOW. I was so blessed to read your words. When did you graduate?
God bless you.
Charity
I watched my mother struggle for her human dignity with less than a man who was harsh, soul crushing and demeaning to her all of her days with him. SHE STAYED WITH HIM BECAUSE OF HER CHILDREN. I
was youngest so the last to leave home.
Sad to say but I married the mirror image of my Father. He belittled, abused me both physically and emotionally. He had me believing no one would ever love me. He isolated me from all of my friends and family and had me working fulltime to support him. The final straw was when he and my ” best friend” were expecting a baby and I was told I’d better find a way to support them all.
SOMETHING SNAPPED!
I STARTED LAUGHING AT HIM AND THE LUDACRIS life I’d been allowing myaelf to wallow in. Despite multiple broken bones a large laseration on my neck , Praise the Lord he missed. I kept LAUGHING. He was furious, stating he would kill me if I didn’t stop laughing. I laughed harder still. At the point when I was on my back with his knees holding down my arms while sat on me with a knife against my throat. He told me he’d kill me. I turned my head side to side and felt like a paper cut on my throat. He saw A LOT of blood and bully that he was jumped up off of me and ran out of the room crying OMG I’VE KILLED HER,!
OBVIOUSLY He hadn’t. I jouined the USNAVY one afternoon not to long after that happrned. I took the test one day and left ” for a walk” by bus to boot camp never to see that puffed up bully ever again!
After three years in the Navy I felt safe to date again.
42 years this June I was sent the Love of My Life whom I married in September.
That hurricane that was my first marriage started out SO CHARMING, SWEET AND VERY THOUGHRFUL. Then once we were married I became his personal walking punching bag.
I walked away from him not caring what would happen; I’d allowed a man to try to kill my SPIRIT that my heavenly Father had given me.
After the Navy, my husband and I worked out a schedule where I was at home with our three boys during the day and then when he came home fro his job, I went to night school. I eventually became a Middle School teacher and our home and lives were and still are full of love! Thank you Lord for the STORMS but ever so much more for being right there next to me throughout the tempest.
** Never forget how much you are loved by the One who made only one of you!
Amen.
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring, moving testimony. God had a prupose for you and He still does.
God bless you.
Charity
God is AWESOME!! I’m so glad you have a better life although someone tried to take it away from you. May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly!!! Amen
Your story is so inspiring & uplifting!! Am so happy you persevered & God blessed you!
God bless you.
Thank you for being here.
Charity
Thanks for sharing, sweet Terri Lynn! Your story brought tears and a hurting heart but also the glorious truth of how much our God loves and cares for us each one and that He Always keeps his promises as he said he would!! I praise God for how he was with you and brought you through to victory and gave you a Christian home of true love and the blessings of God!! God bless and keep you and your family always safe and in His tender loving care!!
Not sure I agree with this. Women are not necessarily made strong by the storms. The strength, or lack therein in them, is exposed in the storms.
Melinda, a truly inspiring life story. I am in awe of your life and the love you have for Our Lord And Saviour JESUS CHRIST. LOVE, DEBBIE 2020′
Same for strong men! I love women who are strong yet gentle
Thank you for allowing me to read so many inspiring testimonials. I was fortunate to be brought up in a good Christian home and be taught how to treat others with respect. My adult life, however has been turbulous. I compare the men who came into my life by my loving father and brother, but they do not hold a candle to them. I have worked hard all my life too, with not much to show for it. But what I have learned from experience is to put family first and live close by them, they are the most important people in your life, because when you move too far away, you miss them terribly, and then you grow older and not as healthy as you were, it becomes harder to get back to them again and the happiness they brought to you. Thanks Charity for sharing
Thank you so much, Linda.
Thank you for sharing a little of your story.
I have also learned that if I put God and family first, I’m happier.
Thank you for being here and God Bless You.
Charity
All I can say is your Mama was so blessed to be able to keep you all together.
It makes me wonder what kind of women you four have grown into.
Thank you for your beautiful story.
I must now get up off my butt and go accomplish something today.
God didn’t put us on this earth to hide behind masks inside our homes on our telephones in segregation.
We get vitamin D outside in the sunshine!
I won’t ever forget you.
I will share your story, then go find some sunshine to basque in; see what God leads me to do next. 😇
Bless you, and hopefully the rest of us too.
Rebecca Lansing
Thank you so much for your generous words.
God bless and keep you.
Charity
Life is like a mountain railroad. Iisten to the song.
Charity, just want to thank you and praise God for what he is helping you to do for others!! God has plans for our lives while we live here on earth and I thank God for your ministry you have here!! God ever bless, help, strengthen and guide you in all you do, say and where you go!! Our God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is ever faithful to us!! I want my life to count to help others with my life! Prayers for you and your family!!
We will never know but I would bet your letter will have given some of your readers the courage to do just what you did. God bless you for telling us.
Anyone who says women are the weaker sex has never delivered a baby.